Entries in Matthew Bywater
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Coke has launched its Health advertising campaign in Australia which is a mirror of the campaign launched earlier this year in the US. When the world leader in sugary drinks launches such a campaign it will always open itself up to cynicism.

The question that comes to mind, is Coke doing this of it’s back or are they pre-empting a change in the market?

Research on the restaurant industry in the US by the Natural Marketing Institute which segmented consumers by their attitudes about the health aspects of food may give an indication.

The study found that 17% of consumers could be classified as “well-beings,” passionate about eating healthier foods and willing to pay more for it. Another 14% are “food actives,” who want to eat better but are more price-sensitive. And 21% are “fence sitters,” who know they should make healthier choices but are busy and stressed out and need the dining outlet to make it easy for them. Together these three groups make up 52% of restaurant customers, a group too big to ignore.

Consumers are more educated than ever before and have become apt to make informed decisions. What Coke has done here is position itself as part of the solution, very smart. By displaying the calories and highlighting them in a national campaign it shows candor which also a great trust builder.

We must also remember that globally they already produce 650+ beverages so they have plenty of scope offer any consumer their product of choice.

Below is a segment from Channel 7’s Sunrise where discussed this new campaign